Advisory Board

Steve Kohler is the President of Ridge Global and has served in several additional capacities at Ridge Global and its affiliates including as Chief Innovation Officer for Ridge Global and Risk Cooperative and prior to that as Chief Executive Officer for Ridge Global Solutions. He also served as a principal advisor to the consulting services practice.

He was the first president of Space Florida, a statewide Special District within the Florida aerospace economic sector Mr. Kohler was formerly the president of Winner Global Defense, a privately held company focused on military and non-military applications of aircraft countermeasures and laser-based detection technologies. Earlier, he was SVP for Corporate Advisory Services for CB Richard Ellis/Pittsburgh.

Mr. Kohler also served in Pennsylvania Governor Tom Ridge’s administration as Director of the Pennsylvania Governor’s Action Team, where he was responsible for the Team’s configuration of financial incentive programs for industrial and business expansion projects throughout the Commonwealth. He holds a BA from Edinboro University and has a Certificate in Cybersecurity Oversight from Carnegie Mellon University

John Minadakis is Chief Executive Officer bearing overall responsibility for institutional governance, strategic planning, and international academic cooperation, participating in E.U. funded programs. From 1990 to 2012, he held the position of Director of Financial and Administrative Affairs, negotiating academic partnerships with universities in the United Kingdom, the United States, France, and Ireland.

He has also served as Chief Executive Officer and Vice President of the Board of SVIE – School for Medical Assistants, while previously acting as Legal Administrator of KEK SVIE – Centre for Professional Training (2001–2012). From 2006 until 2008 active in the Municipality of Maroussi as Adviser to the Mayor on Educational Issues and later as Vice President of the Municipal Education and Development Company.

He was awarded an honorary doctorate in Business Administration (Honoris Causa) from the City University of Paris, and holds an MSc in Public Administration and Management (Troy State University) and a BSc in Political Science (University of La Verne), further complemented by executive training at the University of California, Berkeley.
Mr. Minadakis participates in official international delegations and in numerous conferences on education, business, and international cooperation, including the Delphi Economic Forum, the EAIE Conference in Prague, and events organized by the British Council, the Hellenic Ministry of Education, and the Athens Chamber of Commerce and Industry.